I’m been developing custom workspaces and scripts for Autodesk Fusion Lifecycle for about 18 months now and have learned quite a bit about how the system works, the capabilities and features and limitations as well. What Autodesk says about it being a platform you can rapidly develop on is the full truth. It’s easy to learn and easily configurable.

I’m using the word configurable and not customizable for a reason. Although it does allow you to create custom workspaces and automate to your liking using the scripting environment, you’re still developing within the guardrails of what’s allowed and how Fusion Lifecycle works. Compare this to a 100% custom website or application and you’ll understand what I mean. The sky is not the limit with Fusion Lifecyle, it’s more like a 10,000 foot cruising altitude.

“PLM helps you accelerate your product development processes across all departments and locations by automating workflows, key tasks and delivering timely information. Because Fusion Lifecycle is on the cloud, everyone has access to the data they need anytime, anywhere.”

-autodesk.com

I want to share a few things I’ve learned along the way that saves time in developing a workspace to incorporate a new process or to make changes to an existing process within Fusion Lifecycle.

I’m still alive! It’s summer here in North Carolina and already hot. Like really, really hot. While I don’t mind keeping cool inside working away, staying busy with all things Autodesk. I also don’t mind working outside with my hands, even in the heat. I have been helping a friend out with some sketches of a screened in-porch addition for his house using Inventor.

I don’t get to use Inventor as much as I used to, so when I get an opportunity to keep my skills sharp, I jump on it.

This is a 20′ x 24′ screened in porch. We’re just trying to spit out enough drawings in order to secure the permits and get him a good lumber list to shop with.

This should be an interesting project to see through completion.

Lots of other things going on. I’m going to try and bring a heart beat back to this blog and start posting more regularly again. Until then… thanks for reading!

I posted to the Autodesk Vault Forum a different way to manage your Vault backup folders through your Vault backup script.

The script uses the default folder names that the normal backup method uses which includes the date and time of the backup. What the script does is remove the oldest folder in your parent backup folder and saves the number of backups you specify in the script. You don’t have to rename folders to accomplish this using this script.

{BackupFolder} : Set to your Vault backup location (3 locations in the script)

{Username} : Set to the Vault username

{Password} : Set to the Vault users password

skip=2 : This is set to save 3 backups. The 2 in the folder and the backup that will run with the script. Set this to at least 1.